This invention relates to an air bearing slider with a patterned leading taper region and configured rails or pads and recesses.
Magnetic head assemblies that fly relative to rotating magnetic disks ar used extensively in disk drives for recording and reading data. One objective when using a flying head on which at least one magnetic transducer is deposited in a transducing relationship with a magnetic recording disk is to maintain a substantially constant flying height measured between the slider transducer and the disk surface. Also, by maintaining a constant flying height at a close spacing between the transducer and the disk surface, it is possible to record short wavelength or high frequency signals thereby realizing high density and high storage capacity data recording.
Air bearing sliders used in disk drives typically have a leading edge with a taper at the leading edge and a trailing edge at which thin film transducers are deposited. Typically, the sliders have tapered portions at the leading edge and longitudinal rails or pads that extend from the leading edge tapers towards the trailing edge. The tapers may be shaped and of such length as to provide fast pressure buildup during takeoff of the slider from a resting position to flying attitudes relative to the disk. The dimensions and shapes of the tapers and rails are instrumental in determining the flying characteristics of the head. The rail design determines the pressure generated at the air bearing surface of the slider. In effect, the pressure distribution underneath the slider determines the flying characteristics, including flying height, pitch and roll of the head relative to a rotating magnetic disk. Other characteristics that are affected by the configuration of the air bearing surface of a slider are takeoff velocity, air bearing stiffness and track seek performance. It is highly desirable to fly the slider at a substantially constant flying height close to the disk surface, while simultaneously providing fast takeoff and good track seek characteristics that can affect drive reliability. These objectives should be attained with simplified, low cost manufacturing processes.
An object of this invention is to provide an air bearing slider that affords a substantially constant flying height.
Another object is to provide an air bearing slider with low takeoff velocity and minimum track seek flying height variation.
Another object is to provide an air bearing slider that has enhanced air bearing stiffness which results in a tighter flying height distribution due to manufacturing tolerance.
According to this invention, the air bearing surface of an air bearing slider is formed with configured taper and rails or pads that define a shaped central recess. In one embodiment of the invention, a continuous taper region is formed at the leading edge of the slider between one side of the slider and a corner recess region. In an alternative embodiment, leading edge taper portions separated by a recessed area are provided, with a corner recess region adjacent to one of the taper portions. In a third embodiment of the invention, a leading edge taper is located between two corner recess regions. In each embodiment, a polygon type central recess is defined between the connecting rails or pads of the air bearing surface. Each recess is etched to the same depth in a single process step, by reactive ion etching or ion milling for example.